Travel vaccines for Brazil, sorted in Urmston
Rio and the beaches, the Iguazu Falls, the Pantanal wetlands or a trip deep into the Amazon — tell us your plans at Davyhulme Pharmacy and we'll have your jabs and advice ready before you fly out of Manchester.
7 current health alerts for Brazil
Brazil is enormous, and the health side of your trip really does change with where you're going. A long weekend in Rio or Sao Paulo is a world apart from an Amazon river cruise or a few weeks working your way through the interior, so the smart move is to plan around your actual itinerary rather than tick off a generic list.
We're your community pharmacy on Davyhulme Road in Urmston, an easy hop from Manchester Airport, so there's no need to head into the city for your travel jabs. Bring your dates, a rough route and any record of vaccines you've already had, and our pharmacist will put together a plan that suits your trip. Yellow fever is the big one for Brazil and it's worth getting in early — around six to eight weeks ahead is ideal — but don't be put off if you're closer to departure, there's nearly always something useful we can do.
Vaccines worth considering for Brazil
Take this as a starting point rather than a fixed list — your exact recommendations depend on your route, how long you're away and what you'll be doing, and the pharmacist confirms the final plan with you.
Most travellers
Yellow fever
Recommended for most of Brazil, and the certificate matters if you're travelling on to other countries afterwards. See below for the detail.
Most travellers
Hepatitis A
Spread through contaminated food and water and recommended for the great majority of trips to Brazil.
Most travellers
Typhoid
Another food- and water-borne infection — worth having for most travellers, especially away from the main hotels and resorts.
Most travellers
Tetanus, diphtheria & polio
A good moment to top up your routine UK booster if it's been more than ten years.
Some travellers
Hepatitis B
Considered for longer stays, healthcare or volunteer work, adventure activities, tattoos, piercings or new partners abroad.
Some travellers
Rabies
Present in dogs, bats and wildlife. Sensible for rural travel, longer stays, cyclists and runners, and anyone far from prompt medical care.
Tablets for some areas
Malaria tablets
Only really a risk in parts of the Amazon basin — Rio, the coast and the big cities need no tablets. See below.
Yellow fever: the one to plan around
Yellow fever is the vaccine that comes up most for Brazil, and for good reason — the risk area now covers a large part of the country, not just the Amazon. Vaccination is recommended for travel to most areas, including Rio de Janeiro state, Sao Paulo state, the Iguazu Falls, the Pantanal and much of the interior. A few places, such as the cities of Recife, Fortaleza and Salvador right on the north-east coast, are generally considered lower risk, so whether you need it really does depend on your route. There are two reasons it matters. First, it protects you against a serious mosquito-borne illness. Second, the certificate: Brazil itself doesn't demand one to get in if you're flying from the UK, but lots of neighbouring countries — and onward destinations on a wider South America trip — require proof of yellow fever vaccination if you're arriving from Brazil. The jab needs to be given at least ten days before you travel to count, so tell us your full plan and we'll sort the vaccine and the certificate in good time.
Malaria & mosquito bites
Good news for a lot of trips: most of the places people visit in Brazil carry no malaria risk at all. Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, the coast, the Iguazu Falls and the main cities are malaria-free, so most holidays here don't need tablets. The risk sits in the Amazon basin — the northern and western interior, including parts of Amazonas, Acre, Rondonia, Roraima and rural Para. If your trip takes you into those areas, antimalarial tablets may well be sensible, and the pharmacist will advise on the right one. Either way, good bite avoidance is worth it everywhere: a DEET-based repellent, covered skin around dawn and dusk, and a net or air-conditioned room. Tell us exactly where and when you're going and we'll give you a clear, honest answer on whether tablets apply.
Dengue, Zika and chikungunya
Even where malaria isn't a concern, mosquitoes still are. Dengue is widespread across Brazil and case numbers can be very high, particularly in the warmer, wetter months, and chikungunya circulates too — both are carried by daytime-biting mosquitoes, so repellent during the day matters as much as in the evening. There's no routine jab or tablet for either here, which makes bite avoidance your main protection. Zika is also present in Brazil. It's usually mild, but it can cause serious problems in pregnancy, so if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy please have a word with us before you book — the advice is more cautious and we'll talk it through properly.
Food, water and an upset stomach
An upset stomach is one of the more common things travellers bring home, especially away from the main hotels or when you're out exploring. Sticking to bottled or treated water, freshly cooked hot food and fruit you peel yourself goes a long way, and it's sensible to be careful with ice and salads where the water supply is less reliable. Hepatitis A and typhoid cover the more serious food-and-water infections, and we can put together a simple travel kit with rehydration sachets so a dodgy meal stays a minor blip rather than wrecking a few days of your trip.
Frequently asked questions
For most of Brazil, yes — it's recommended across a large part of the country, including Rio and Sao Paulo states, the Iguazu Falls and the Pantanal. A handful of north-east coastal cities are considered lower risk. It also matters for the certificate if you're travelling on to other countries afterwards. Tell us your route and we'll confirm whether it applies to you.
No. Rio de Janeiro, the coast, Sao Paulo, the Iguazu Falls and the main cities are all malaria-free, so most holidays here don't need tablets. Malaria is mainly a risk in parts of the Amazon basin in the north and west. If your trip heads into those areas, let us know and we'll advise honestly on whether tablets are worth it.
There's no routine vaccine or tablet for dengue, Zika or chikungunya in this setting, so bite avoidance does the heavy lifting: a DEET-based repellent, covering up, and a net or air-conditioned room. These mosquitoes bite in the daytime too, so don't save the repellent for the evening. If you're pregnant or trying for a baby, come and talk to us before booking, as the Zika advice is more cautious.
For Brazil, around six to eight weeks is ideal because the yellow fever jab needs to be given at least ten days before you travel to count, and some other vaccines like rabies are a short course over a couple of weeks. If your trip is sooner, still get in touch on 0161 748 3016 — there's almost always something worthwhile we can sort before you go.
Yes — your full travel consultation and the vaccines, including yellow fever and the certificate where it's needed, are done here at Davyhulme Pharmacy by our pharmacist, so there's no trek into Manchester city centre. Just bring your itinerary and any record of past jabs and we'll take care of the rest.
This information is grounded in NHS and TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) guidance and is for general information — not a substitute for a personal consultation. Your travel consultation is carried out by our pharmacist.
Planning a trip to Brazil?
Bring your itinerary to Davyhulme Pharmacy in Urmston and we'll sort the right vaccines and advice — book online or call us on 0161 748 3016.